Can I record from a freesat box on to an HDD recorder.

[admin_exported]

Hi everyone

Is there an HDD recorder that can record from anything, like my old VCR can? Specifically I want to upgrade my current SKY sat box + VCR, to an HD freesat + HDD recorder with timeshift/EPG/pause-live-TV. (Actually, it doesnt have to be HD (Hi-Def) as long as it's HDD (Hard Disk Drive) )

You can buy a freesat box for £50, and an HDD recorder for £100, so why does a freesat with built in HDD recording cost £250?

It looks like the low-end HDD recorders can only record from their own internal tuners, so you can record freeVIEW, but not freeSAT.

Does anybody know of a cheapish HDD box that will record whatever you feed in to its SCART input (camcorder, Freesat etc)?

thanks, Mark

 

[robjcooper]

If you want to upgrade to HD Freesat plus Recorder, buy the Humax HDR. (£244.95 at Richer Sounds). What you are getting is 2 x HD decoders (like the Foxsat HD at £120 EACH at Richer Sounds) plus a massive 320gb recorder with the ability to record two different channels or watch one while recording another, to pause and rewind and the convenience of a comprehensive PVR. Your freesat box for £50 would not be HD and you'd need 2 of them to match some of the abilities of the Humax HDR so just for standard def that would cost you £200. You would also lose all the abilities of the EPG too if you bought a stand alone recorder - the epg info for freesat is transmitted over the satellite link so would not be accessible by the PVR as it would only be taking a scart input and not the datastream. This is why the freeview boxes only record their own tuners (i couldn't find any after a quick look on the internet which have a seperate input. One of the other reasons is that the signal they are receiving is an mpeg stream and it is far simpler to record this to the hard drive. With a seperate input scart or rf you would have to have encoders to convert the signal from RGB, RF or component analogue to mpeg to record onto the drive - thus up goes the cost (for a kind of example look at how the cost of DVD recorders hasn't really dropped over the years - the DVD drives are as cheap as chips but the different format decoders bumps the cost).

If you want all those abilities with Freesat then the Humax is a bargain and you get HD pictures and the ability to record them.

Rob

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Rob, that's a brilliant, detailed answer, thanks for taking the time (I'm sure it'll be helpful to others too).

There had to be a good reason, I just didnt know what it was! I live abroad you see, so havent got the option of terrestrial freeview (unless in French). Thankfully, I am over 40, so am not afflicted with 'upgrade-itis'

- I havent even bothered to changeout to an LCD screen yet! If you add the twin LNB to the Humax box, you're already over £300 and then I need my HD TV of course, so I'll probably sit tight and see where technology and prices go. Interestingly though, there is a SD satellite kit from Screwfix with dish, wall mount, cable, tuner all for 40 quid, (probably rubbish quality of course, for that money), but impressive none the less, and then I could watch one and record another, because I'd have two dishes! (not sure wifey would go for 2 dishes on the wall though!

)

Anyway, thanks again for the answer

cheers, Mark

 

[robjcooper]

My pleasure Mark.

Don't blame you not 'upgrading' to an LCD screen. If you've got a decent CRT TV and a good SD signal, stick with it for now - I've only seen one range of HD TVs which make me want to buy one and that is the Pioneer Kuro plasmas. But I can't justify spending upwards of £2000 on a TV and refuse to spend less on screens with no contrast, horrible motion artifacts, and backlight problems. And I know that that statement may get me a stream of 'my LCD/plasma is fantastic' replies and accused of talking nonsense, but I spend my days in front of a £30,000 Sony 32" HD CRT monitor (which is gorgeous) and until they look as good as that I'll be holding back too ! Don't forget you can still watch the Humax on a crt tv - you may not be able to watch the HD channels (not sure if the Humax has a downconverter but I expect not), but as there's only about 4 channels in HD on it you'll not be missing too much and if you do get an HD TV you'll be ready to go ! I got a 60cm dish and a quad LNB with 60m of webro WF100 cable from ebay for £40 earlier this year. Also got my Humax box (not the PVR one - we already have a virgin V+ box so can record on that) direct from Humax for £94 delivered. It's a graded one but looked brand new to me - box it came in was slightly untidy ! They also sell graded PVR versions but for the same price as RicherSounds !?)

http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/product.asp?ProdRef=10070

Had a look at the Screwfix dish - looks a good deal but doesn't actually tell you what channels you'll be getting (apart from the vague "1000s of foreign stations") and French freeview would probably be preferable to 30 english shopping and 'quiz' channels !

Whereabouts in France are you ? I think I could put up with french TV to live in Sanguinet where we spent our summer hols - we love that coast. And it looked as if 2 dishes are de rigeur en france ! But I appreciate your 2 dish dilemma - My wife took enough persuasion to allow me to put up 1 dish, especially as I still haven't got round to cabling up our freesat box in the kitchen!

A bient“t et bon chance !

Rob

 

[daveh75]

robjcooper:
Had a look at the Screwfix dish - looks a good deal but doesn't actually tell you what channels you'll be getting (apart from the vague "1000s of foreign stations") and French freeview would probably be preferable to 30 english shopping and 'quiz' channels !

Those sat receiver's sold by Screwfix,maplin's and even Lidl/Aldi are just non-platform specific/free to air(FTA) receiver's, so as the name implies can receive any FTA channels, which includes those on the Freesat EPG.

As well as any FTA channels on other satellites, providing that you either align the dish to the particular satellites,or you have a single dish with multiple LNB's fitted, or a motorised dish!

The one thing these types of boxes dont have/support is the Freesat 8 day EPG, all you get is "now and next" programme/channel info.